Collapsible bird house



Aug. 11, 1942.

L. G. COPEMAN COLLAPS IBLE BIRD HOUSE Filed March 24, 19:58 2 Sheets-She et 1 INVENTOR. Z2961 Qpemm BY. 6W

ATTORNEYS 1942- L. G. COPEMAN COLLAPSIBLE BIRD HOUSE Filed March 24, 1938 2 Sheetsi-She et 2 INVENTOR. 62

ig man y ATTORNEY 3 I Patented .11, 19 42 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 24, me, Serial No. reuse I 2 Claims. 119-23) This invention relates to improvements in collapsible bird houses. 1

More particularly this invention relates to a blank fora bird house of the .type formed 01' a single sheet of cardboard or paper. These onepiece bird houses are usually fastened in assembled relation by detachable fasteners or split rivets. There is dlfllculty, however, in fastening the house together since, when one end is closed, it is impossible to get inside the other end to split or open the fastening rivets.

An object of the present invention is to provide a blank for a bird house of the one-piece type which has several distinct advantages as far as concerns the means for fastening the house in assembled relation.

Another object of the invention has to do with a novel reinforcing and insulating arrangement which serves to strengthen the assembled. structure considerably.

scription and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. lisaplanviewof theblankofthebird house cut to provide the walls, roof and floor and the fastening tabs of the improved bird house.

Fig. 2 is a section on the lines 2! of Fig. 1.

Fig.3 shows the assembled bird house fastened to a trunk or limb of a tree.

Fig. 4 is a front view of the bird house. 'Flg. 5 is a side view of the led'house.

Fig.6isasectiononthelinel-8ofFig. 4. Fig. is.a section taken on the lines 1-1 of Fig. 4.

Figs. 8 and 9 are sections takenv on the lines Hand 9-8 of Fis. 5. I

While the type of bird house contemplated by the present invention is adapted for general use, it is particularly useful in orchards or woods where the owner desires to have a considerable number of bird houses distributed through the trees. Under these circumstances it will be seen that it is desirable to have a collapsible bird house which is in a one-piece blank and which needs no separate fastening means. With such a house, a-person distributing the houses may portion II, a floor portion II, a roof portion I2 and a reinforcing'portion II. The blank is preferably formed of waterproof .paper or cardboard.

The body portion II consists essentially of I three portions, a main portion 14, a back i5 to pass through and fasten in slots 2| found in the supplementary portion ii of the main body portion.

The back portion I5 is adapted to support the bird house. It may be nailed to a post or tree bynailsilasshowninFig. Loritmaybe provided with opposed slots or holes 23 throughwhich will pass a weather-resisting and insectproof cord 24 which will be tied around the supporting member, as shown in Fig. 9.

V The bottom portion ll of the bird house is substantially circular in shape and is connected to the backportion II of the body of the house by a narrowed strip 25. Theedgos of the bottom portion II are provided with tabs 26 which are adapted to register with and pass through the slots It in the portion ii of the body of the house. a a I The roof portion of the house is shaped as shown in Fig. 1 so that it will overhang the front portion of the house when assembled. On this roof portion l2 are side pieces 21 which are adapted to fold down and on which are formed tab portions 28 which will register with the slots I! of the body portion.

The reinforcing tab l3 may have a number of shapes but the preferred design is shown in Fig. 1 wherein the tab i3 is folded at 29 and the tab is designed insuch a manner that it would form, a reinforcement for the walls of the body portion.;

In assembling the bird house the portion '25 connecting the floor and the back portion is foldedup parallel with the back portion and the portion ll of the body is curved around the floor portion, the tabs 2i being inserted through their respective slots It. The tabs 20 are thenpassed through the slots?! in the'supplemten-- tary side portion ii and the reinforcing piece II is folded down into the tubular body as shown in Fig. 6. .The roof I: is then folded down over the open end of the tubular body and the side portions 21 are bent down so that the tabs 2. may be inserted through the slots l9.

I shown in Fig. 1, and can be assembled as above described. If the tying cord 24 is to be used to support the house it may be tied around the supporting member either before or after the house is assembled.

If the, bird house is to be used in an orchard it is desirable that no nails be driven into the trees to damage the bark. In this case it is desirable to use the flexible tying cords 24. It will be seen that in hanging a number of these houses in an orchard, that no hammer or other tools would be necesary. The orchardist could carry a bunch of houses under his arm and proceed to the selected spots to hang the houses, assembling each one as he mounts it in its desired position.

By fastening the floor Ii to the body portion by means of the narrow strip 25 it will be seen that the floor will, when assembled, be spaced from the lower 'edge of the body portion of the house. ceives considerably more reinforcement than if the floor portion is exactly adjacent the lower edge of the body portion. Reinforcement is also obtained from the member l3 which contacts the walls of the body portion and maintains them in a cylindrical or tubular position; The reinforcing portion I3 has an added advantage of With this arrangement the house re-' forming an insulating chamber in the top of the house which protects the interior of the house from the heat of the sun' and makes it more nearly aproximate a hollow portion of a tree.

'WhatIclaimisz. 1

1. A bird house'blank of the one-piece type formed from a single sheet of paper comprising, a back portion, top and bottom portions formed at either end of the back portion and body forming portions on each side of said back portion,

having interfltting fastening means formed 111-- tegrally ,from said, single sheet of paper whereby when theback member has been fastened to a support the top, bottom and body portions may be completely assembled to form a bird house with a tubular body, without the use of separate fastening means, by interfitting the integral fastening means of the adjacent portions and a reinforcing portion formed on the upper edge of one of said body forming portions and adapted to impart lateral strength to the assembled body forming portions. I

2. A bird house blank of the type formed from .a single sheet of paper, comprising a normally from the body portion and adapted when the body portion is folded to lie underneath the top portion with two portions disposed at an angle to reinforce the body portion.

LLOYD G. COPEMAN. 

